


a hundred bad days (made a hundred good stories)

by pearlselegancies



Category: Knight Squad (TV)
Genre: College AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Mental Health Issues, Rated T for underage drinking, everything u can think of is probably in here, i'm going off of canadian laws so they're all like 18/19, learning how to deal with life, well they are underage in america
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28030311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearlselegancies/pseuds/pearlselegancies
Summary: Arc was the asshole who had spilled her drink all over her and had tried to flirt with her. Fuck.Or an au where Arc and Ciara have an unfortunate first meeting and it becomes hate at first sight until suddenly, it's not.
Relationships: Arc & Ciara & Prudy & Warwick (Knight Squad), Arc/Ciara (Knight Squad), Sage/Buttercup
Comments: 16
Kudos: 25





	1. remember when we all got drunk?

**Author's Note:**

> should i have started yet another au? absolutely not. am i still gonna, do it? hell yeah. 
> 
> for the friends with benefits part, it'll never go past making out and maybe some feeling up bc i am three things: very asexual and don't like the idea of sex, a minor, and i don't know how to write smut. 
> 
> also sidenote,, the king has been struggling with memory issues for about two months prior to this,,, but he refuses to get tested hence ciara's frustration with him in the later part of the chapter.

_Maybe a hundred bad days made a hundred good stories. A hundred good stories make me interesting at parties._

* * *

  
Sage definitely knew how to throw a party, Ciara mused as she stood in the corner, watching as people danced and talked. She held a cup of lukewarm beer in her right hand, her eyes scanning the room.  
  
She could see her best friend Prudy talking to a large group of people, her long blonde curls falling into her face. Ciara smiled to herself, shaking her head. Just as she turned to look at her phone, someone’s body crashed into hers, and her drink spilled down onto her dress.  
  
Her spaghetti strap camisole dress which had been a sunny yellow now had a large brown coloured stain down the front. In short, she looked a mess. “Fuck!” She cried out, turning around to glare at the person. "I am so sorry dude! I swear that wasn’t my fault!” She looked at the person, a blonde-haired boy who sheepishly grinned at her. “Can I get you paper towels or a jacket or something?”  
  
Ciara rolled her eyes, shaking the droplets off of her hand as she sucked in a deep breath. “It's fine. It’s fine. Fuck.” The boy looked at her as if he wanted to apologize again and Ciara shook her head again. He scratched the back of his neck, and Ciara almost felt bad. Almost. Of course, then, the boy spoke again.  
  
"Do you wanna go upstairs with me? I can maybe help you change out of your dress." As if that sentence alone wasn't bad enough, the asshole winked at her. Full-on 90s romcom winked. She took a deep breath, shaking her head at him and grumbling under her breath before walking away and over to Prudy who grinned at her as she walked towards her before frowning as she noticed Ciara’s dress.  
  
“Oh my god, are you okay?” She asked, pulling Ciara over to the side. Ciara nodded. “I’m fine, some asshole just spilled my drink on me. Then tried to flirt with me.” Prudy made a disgusted face which earned a shallow laugh from Ciara before Prudy began looking around the room, something she could easily accomplish with her height. At 5'8, Prudy was 7 inches taller than Ciara, and it was hard to not feel like there was a giant beside her.  
  
"Oh my god, that's one of my classmates! Arc Seagate. He just moved here. I didn't think he was gonna show up! I have to introduce you two." Ciara turned around to look at whoever Prudy was talking about, and immediately she felt her heart drop.  
  
Arc was the asshole who had spilled her drink all over her and had tried to flirt with her. Fuck. Prudy of course didn’t notice Ciara’s internal panic because she beckoned him over with a wide grin. Arc seemed to have also realized who Ciara was, because as he walked over with an almost sheepish grin on his face.

Ciara crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling very self-aware. “Prudy! Girl who I spilled a drink on. Nice to see you... Damn, this is uh awkward.” Prudy looked at Arc, then at Ciara then at Arc again.  
  
“Wait is he-?” Ciara nodded, throwing on the fakest smile she could, one usually only used at the annual President's dinner with her father’s asshole coworkers. Prudy elbowed her and Ciara rolled her eyes. If Prudy wanted her to play nice, she could play nice.  
  
She looked him up and down, her eyes catching on the way his periwinkle blue baseball shirt tightly hugged his slim biceps. Arc wasn’t incredibly built, but he clearly took good care of himself. Something she only noticed because she was sizing him up of course. She definitely didn’t think he was attractive at all.  
  
Shaking her head at herself, she spoke. "So asshole who spilled my drink on me, how are you liking Astoria University?” Arc scratched the back of his neck again, something Ciara figured was a nervous tick of his. "Pretty okay. Well except for the whole pouring a drink on a pretty girl thing." Prudy snorted and Ciara glared at him even more.  
  
"Oh fuck off." He grinned at her, his green eyes sparkling. She looked down at her laced booties, tearing her eyes from his. Prudy looked down at her phone and let out a loud and long string of curses before turning to Ciara. "Your dad is texting. Unless you want the secret service to show up here, we gotta go home." Ciara winced, nodding.

One of the worst parts about being the President's daughter was how overprotective he was of her.  
  
Ciara gave Arc a thin-lipped smile before linking arms with Prudy, who quickly said goodbye before they rushed out of the house, and into Prudy's grey Honda Civic which was parked right outside.  
  
Ciara grabbed her phone from Prudy who had been holding it in her purse the entire night, wincing as she realized just how many messages she had from her dad. She opened it, clicking on his contact quickly and speaking. He picked up immediately. "Ciara Angelica Archer! You are in so much trouble young lady. You've been out for hours and you didn't tell anyone where you were going or who you were going out with-"  
  
"Dad!" Ciara yelled and Prudy winced at how loud the shorter girl spoke. "I am fine. I went to a party with Prudy like you suggested the other day so I could get more experience being around other college students. God." Her dad seemed to sober up, his voice becoming quieter. "Oh. Sweetheart I'm so sorry. I forgot. I swear it was a slip of the mind." Ciara scoffed. Those were happening a lot these days with the upcoming election. She didn't like seeing her dad this stressed and she didn't like him being up her ass even more.  
  
"Please forgive me?" He asked and she sucked in a breath. She looked out of the window as they made their way down Goblin Street Bridge before responding. "Fine. But seriously Dad. You need help. Your memory isn't as good as it used to be." Her dad simply hummed in response. "I'll make an appointment I promise. I love you pumpkin."

Ciara smiled softly. "I love you too."  
  
The phone call ended and she kept staring out the window, watching as buildings passed them by. "Your dad huh?" Prudy asked and Ciara nodded, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. "He still won't go get tested. I've asked him so many times and he just won't do it."  
  
Prudy nodded. Ciara's dad was getting sicker and sicker, and his memory was even more shitty than it had been previously. She was starting to get seriously worried, and with her sister Eliza stationed overseas, she was the only person who was able to take care of him. Long story short, it fucking sucked.

"I don't know what to do Prudy." Her best friend looked at her for a moment before gently squeezing her hand. Ciara gave her a grateful smile as they pulled up to the toll bridge. Prudy rolled down the window and they spoke to Gareth - the toll operator and security guard for a moment before he opened the gates for them and they drove in.  
  
Prudy pulled up to the driveway, and Ciara leaned over and hugs her quickly before getting out, smoothing down the skirt of her dress. "Love you, Prudy!" Prudy grinned at her before reversing as she left. Ciara watched for a moment before turning on her heel and knocking on the door, a maid rushing to let her in.  
  
Even though she's been living in Astoria House for over seven years now, she'll never get used to having doors opened for her, or the size of her house. She shook her head, taking her off white laced booties off, passing through the large hallway and up the stairs towards her room. She stopped when she passes by her father's office, before walking backwards and knocking on the door, earning his attention.  
  
"Hi, dad." She mumbled and he smiled at her, blowing a kiss her way. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. You need anything, you let me or Gareth know okay?"  
  
He nodded slowly and Ciara smiled at him before continuing to her room, opening the door and shutting it behind her. She walked over to her window and closed it, before slipping her dress off and grabbing her tank top and shorts from the ground. She made a face at the smell of dried beer on her dress as she threw it into the laundry basket that sat next to her door. Ciara quickly got dressed before she slipped into bed, her mind replaying the events of the evening.  
  
She couldn't figure out why, but something about that Arc guy intrigued her. And that was something she was determined to figure out.


	2. oh my god; i felt so dumb (lucky me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Swayze's class was arguably the only class other than his history classes that Arc really enjoyed. 
> 
> Despite it technically being a class about microeconomics, the professor (who wasn't much older than most of his students) very rarely touched on the subject, instead, showing them videos he found funny and goofing off in general.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> arc was as always being a bastard hence why this chapter is so short my dears. hope u enjoy regardless.

Professor Swayze's class was arguably the only class other than his history classes that Arc really enjoyed. Despite it technically being a class about microeconomics, the professor (who wasn't much older than most of his students) very rarely touched on the subject, instead showing them videos he found funny and goofing off in general.  
  
Professor Swayze's class was the best in Arc's opinion. Or at least he was until one fateful Friday morning. It was the next day after the... eventful party Arc had gone to where he'd accidentally spilled a drink on a girl. He still didn't know her name, or anything else about her, other than she seemed to be close friends with Prudy and that even when drenched with beer, she looked pretty.  
  
The second part, an observation he only made because he had to look at her for several minutes when Prudy had tried and failed at introducing them to each other. Of course, Arc's mouth managed to work faster than his brain and he'd made an ass out of himself. Hence why he was so surprised when he walked into Professor Swayze's lecture hall.  
  
He almost did a double take, when he saw the girl sitting in the front row, her curls pulled up into a loose ponytail at the top of her head, wearing an Astoria University sweatshirt and glaring daggers at him as he strolled in. They were the only two people in the room so far and Arc felt as if he was about to enter a battlefield as he sat down beside her.  
  
"Hi." He said, deciding to be nice. She looked at him before scoffing. "So, I guess we're in the same class huh?" He looked over at her, at her closed off body language and glowered. He hadn't done shit to her and she was treating him like he killed her dog or something. "Yeah, I guess we are. Y'know, I apologized for ruining your dress." He said and the girl rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh you did, and then you immediately tried to flirt with me as if that was remotely okay!" Ok yeah, Arc had definitely fucked up there. He winced, before speaking. "Look, I'm really sorry-" He realized he didn't know her name and he looked at her. She sighed annoyed before responding. "Ciara Archer."  
  
"Right, Ciara Archer. I'm so sorry that I spilled your drink on you. That was my fault, and I shouldn't have said what I said afterwards. But, you also messed up by being a jackass to me later on and also today. That's not fair to me!" The girl- Ciara he corrected himself, glared at him even more, before looking away from him.  
  
People entered the classroom, and as much as Arc wanted to try to get Ciara's attention and apologize again, he knew that that was going to be impossible.  
  
Just like her. This was _so_ fucking unfair.  
  


* * *

  
  
Warwick, Arc decided was absolutely no help at all, whatsoever. The blonde-haired boy had gone to his best friend and roommate, hoping he'd have some advice on how to get Ciara to forgive him, and nothing. Absolutely nothing.  
  
"You spilled this girl's drink on her, tried convincing her to go upstairs with you afterwards, instead of, I don't know, finding her a jacket or something, and now you're mad because she's mad at you?" Warwick stared at him, his sweatshirt covered arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Arc nodded sheepishly. Ok, when it was said like that, it sounded bad.  
  
"No offence dude," Warwick began before shaking his head, "actually full offence, it's a miracle she isn't going to press charges against you or something. You were a dick. A well-meaning dick but a dick regardless." Arc pouted, standing up and grabbing a root beer from the small room fridge they shared.  
  
"How do I fix it though?" He asked and Warwick snorted. "You can't buddy. In her mind, you are branded as the asshole who spilled my drink on me and then tried to flirt with me. That's a pretty hard label to forget." Arc sighed, taking a sip of his root beer.  
  
"I know but still." Warwick hummed in response. Arc stared down at his soda. He looked up after a moment before shaking his head.  
  
"It's not my fault. I'm not the one who needs to say sorry." He grumbled and Warwick snorted. "You sure about that?"  
  
Arc pulled out his phone, opening up his text thread with Prudy, realizing that she had sent him a link to one of her posts. It was a simple photo, her and Ciara together, laughing at something.  
  
He stared at it for a moment, biting down on his lip before closing the tab and flipping his phone over. "Yeah. I'm sure."  
  
But in all honesty, Arc wasn't.   
  
  



	3. i wrote a song that no one knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoever had pulled the fire alarm was going to feel Ciara's sleep-deprived wrath. She had accidentally slept through her alarm that previous morning after sleeping over at Prudy's dorm, which already left her in a mood all day, and now, she had to deal with whoever had set off the fire alarm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we see the beginning of ciara realizing that arc isn't that bad, and also that she may or may not be catching feelings for him. hehe.

Whoever had pulled the fire alarm was going to feel Ciara's sleep-deprived wrath. She had accidentally slept through her alarm that morning after sleeping over at Prudy's dorm, which already left her in a mood all day, and now, she had to deal with whoever had set off the fire alarm.   
  
This was not how she wanted her Friday morning to go. "What the fuck is going on?" She grumbled as she rolled out of Prudy's bed, dragging her best friend out of the bed as well.   
  
The blonde-haired girl shrugged and Ciara groaned. She grabbed the blanket from the bed and they both hurried to the living room.   
  
Prudy grumbled under her breath about killing whoever has awoken them like this as she came out carrying their phones and her laptop. She kept complaining as they slipped on their sneakers and made their way over to where almost every other person in Phoenix Court was gathered.   
  
Now that they were in the massive hallway, Ciara could see the massive commotion and she could also hear Arc's voice.   
  
"I'm sorry okay! I just wanted a bagel and I didn't realize how fucking old and shitty that toaster was. I got the fire under control anyway I don't get why the alarm started beeping." Ciara ground her teeth and tried to shrug her way out of Prudy's grasp under the blanket, and Prudy looked at her before shaking her head.   
  
"Don't do it." She looked up at her best friend, glaring at her. "That asshole is the reason I'm awake at four in the fucking morning. If I don't give him a piece of my mind, I'm going to fucking murder him!"   
  
Prudy sighed. "Fine. But if you don't get back here in 5 minutes I will drag you back here by your hair." Ciara grinned at her before slipping out of the blanket and over to where Arc and Warwick were standing.   
  
"So you idiots caused the fire alarm to go off?" Arc turned around to look at her with a sheepish grin and Ciara ignored the little voice in her head that remarked on how cute it was.   
  
He scratched the back of his neck. "Look I'm really sorry about that. The fire department is on their way, and once they get the alarms to go off, it'll be fine." Ciara huffed, rubbing her hands on her bare arms. She wished she hadn't left Prudy and the blanket.  
  
Arc stared at her for a moment before he opened up his own blanket to her. She glared at him. "I'm not trying to do anything." He said and she furrowed her eyebrows. "I swear. It's cold Ciara." She looked up at the sky, before rolling her eyes as she stepped forward, letting Arc's arms wrap around her.   
  
He was warm, a lot warmer than she was in her grey pajama shorts and white tank top. Without thinking, she buried her face in his chest, doing everything she could to keep herself warm.  
  
The arms of his blue hoodie brushed against her skin and she shivered. After what felt like ages, the fire department finally came, and she let go of Arc hesitantly so he could explain himself.   
  
"So... Didn't seem like you really gave him a piece of your mind." Ciara turned around as Prudy grinned at her. She rolled her eyes at her friend before letting the tall blonde pull her into the warmth of Prudy's duvet again.   
  
They stood there, watching as Arc talked to the firefighters and police before he walked back over to them. Warwick who had been silent the whole time snorted. "Only you would be able to cause this much commotion over a fucking bagel Arc. Only you."   
  
Arc rolled his eyes and Ciara bit down on her lip. He looked at her and she could feel her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't explain the look he was giving her, but she suddenly felt as if she was a bug under a microscope. She stared back and he looked away, rubbing his neck.   
  
The firefighters announced that everyone could go back to their dorms and Ciara let out a grateful sigh. She needed to get out of this courtyard and away from Arc and his green eyes that seemed to be able to stare into her soul.   
  
God, she was so tired.   
  


* * *

  
  
Professor Swayze's class was unusually quiet. Ciara figured it was because of the fire alarm going off earlier that morning, that people were still exhausted from being woken up so early, but now nearly an hour into class, she wasn't so sure.   
  
Arc was sitting beside her, quietly scribbling down notes in his notebook and she watched him until he looked up and their eyes met. She looked away as fast as she could.   
  
Ever since that morning, it felt like her energy was all over the place, and seeing Arc just made it worse. He was an asshole most of the time, but she was starting to see a different side of him. A side she wasn't sure what to do about.   
  
The lesson droned on and she did her best to avoid looking at him again. She fiddled with the sleeve of her dress before scribbling down her own notes.   
  
"Hey. Do you have a highlighter?" Arc leaned over and Ciara sucked her breath in. She nodded slowly, reaching into her backpack and grabbing her pencil case, sliding it over to him. "Just give it back once you're done." Arc nodded, that stupid grin on his face.   
  
Ciara shook her head, letting out the breath she'd been holding in. She was not going to lose her mind over some stupid asshole boy. No way in hell.   
  
Professor Swayze's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Alright kiddies. The board says that I need to make sure you guys are actually learning shit, so I'm giving you guys a project that will be worth 60% of your grade."   
  
Ciara raised an eyebrow at him and he waved her off. "You will need to choose a company that has had financial troubles over the last 5-10 years and find out what went wrong, and also what are some strategies that can be used to change the company's fate."   
  
Arc nudged her, and she grabbed her pencil case back from him, giving him a tight-lipped smile. She turned back to Professor Swayze who was still speaking.   
  
"The partners for this project will be Charlotte and Henry, Isa and Dan..." His words drowned out until she heard her name, "Ciara and Arc are the last pairing. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask me once class ends in five minutes. For now, please go and speak to your partner and introduce yourself."   
  
Ciara turned to look at Arc who looked just as shocked as she did. He bit his lip and she looked away her mind racing.   
  
Oh for fucks sake.


	4. i played a show and no one showed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you kidding me?" Arc watched as Ciara grabbed her things and stormed over to Professor Swayze's desk. Their teacher looked at her as if he'd been expecting it, and just the thought of it made Arc feel uncomfortable. He couldn't tell why. 
> 
> "I can't work with him, Professor Swayze. Can I switch with someone? Please?" Professor Swayze crossed his arms over his chest. Arc stood up and walked over to where the two of them were speaking, right in front of Professor Swayze's desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pearl uploading a new chapter on christmas eve eve?? it's a fucking miracle!! lmaoooo.  
> if you've been following me on [tumblr](https://juliesdahlias.tumblr.com/), which honestly you should, it's fucking great over there, you know that this chapter has a scene that i've been working on for a hot minute. hopefully you guys enjoy it as much as i enjoyed writing it!

"Are you kidding me?" Arc watched as Ciara grabbed her things and stormed over to Professor Swayze's desk. Their teacher looked at her as if he'd been expecting it, and just the thought of it made Arc feel uncomfortable. He couldn't tell why.  
  
"I can't work with him, Professor Swayze. Can I switch with someone? Please?" Professor Swayze crossed his arms over his chest. Arc stood up and walked over to where the two of them were speaking, right in front of Professor Swayze's desk. "Why can't you work with him, Ms. Archer? Is this because of relationship drama or something more serious?"

Ciara and Arc both shook their heads, and Arc felt his cheeks turn bright red. He had a feeling about what Professor Swayze was implying, and it made his stomach turn.

"I just-I don't want to work with him. I'll do extra credit, I'll get my dad to make a donation. Please?" Arc looked at Ciara. She was wearing a white t-shirt and black skinny jeans. His eyes trailed over her before he shook his head. Professor Swayze raised an eyebrow at him and he could feel himself turning even redder.

"If Ciara wants to switch, then let her switch. I don't want to work with someone who's gonna throw a tantrum when she doesn't get her way anyways." Ciara turned on her heel and glared at him.

"Excuse me?" Arc threw his hands up, shrugging. "I mean seriously dude. You're gonna get your dad to bribe a teacher just so you can work with someone else?" Ciara spluttered, her medium brown skin quickly becoming red as she huffed.  
  
"Ok enough you two. I don't care if you want different partners, you are going to work together. Now, I have to go get ready for my next class, so I will see you tomorrow. Goodbye." Before either of them could argue, Professor Swayze had left the room, and it was just them.  
  
"Oh my god." Ciara groaned. Arc raised an eyebrow at the girl who stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. Compared to him, Ciara looked tiny, and the way she was acting so childish made that difference even more obvious. He stepped in closer and spoke in her ear.  
  
"Stop acting like a two-year-old just because you didn't get what you wanted." Ciara scoffed, turning away from him. He rolled his eyes at her. "It's not my fault I got paired with a jackass." Arc scoffed this time. Ciara turned back to look at him, a smirk on her face. "What? Did Arcie poo get his feelings hurt?" Arc shook his head at her.  
  
"No, but Ciara's acting like a literal toddler." Ciara's nostrils flared and she stepped forward, pressing a finger into his chest. "I am not acting like a toddler. Okay?" Her brown eyes met his green ones and Arc felt his heart begin to hammer. Ciara didn't move back, instead, her eyes fell to his lips and he resisted the urge to lean down and kiss her in an effort to shut her up.  
  
"Shut up." He grumbled and Ciara looked at him before speaking. "Make me. I dare you."  
  
He stepped even closer, one hand moving to rest on the desk behind them. Ciara's breath hitched and Arc swore he saw her eyelashes flutter. He leaned in, and Ciara rested her hand against his chest, her fingers tangling up with his flannel. Before either one of them could do anything, they heard Warwick and Prudy's loud voices making their way towards the empty classroom.  
  
They moved apart, Ciara looking anywhere but him, her cheeks heating up. Arc cleared his throat before sitting down on the desk so it wasn't obvious what had almost happened. Warwick opened the door, looking at the two of them suspiciously.  
  
"You guys okay? We heard arguing a few minutes ago." Ciara nodded a little too fast, earning a skeptical look from Prudy as she grabbed her backpack and pushed past Arc and Warwick. "Yep totally fine. I'll see you tomorrow to work on the project Arc. Bye!"  
  
Before Arc could even respond, she was gone, her shoulder-length curls bouncing behind her as she dragged Prudy with her.  
  
Warwick turned to look at him immediately. "What the hell was that?" He asked and Arc watched Ciara walk away before looking at his best friend. "I have no idea."

* * *

  
The walk back to his and Warwick's dorm had been painfully awkward, with Arc refusing to talk about what happened and Warwick wanting to know everything.  
  
Arc opened the door, slipping off his sneakers as he walked into the small hallway before going and sitting down on his bed. Warwick followed him. "So..." Arc shook his head. Warwick raised an eyebrow as he flopped onto Arc's bed.

"C'mon man. What happened? The way Ciara left that room... What did you do?" Arc scoffed. "I didn't do anything. One minute she's pissed as hell at me, the next she's telling me to make her shut up and she almost kissed me."  
  
"What!?" Warwick almost fell off the bed and Arc winced. "Are you sure? You're not feeling sick right?" He pressed his hand against Arc's forehead and Arc rolled his eyes at him before shoving his friend's hand away. "No. She was looking at my lips and when I leaned in, she didn't shove me away until you guys walked in!"

Warwick looked at him and Arc squirmed. He hated it when people gave him that look like he was stupid or something. Warwick grinned at him after a moment. "Ciara huh? Warwick asked and Arc huffed.

"Shut up." He shoved Warwick off the bed and the African American boy let out a startled, "Hey!" Arc rolled his eyes, grabbing his blanket and burrowing himself under his covers. "Wake me up before my shift at Target you asshole. I love you." He called out childishly and Warwick grumbled under his breath as he stood up.  
  
"Yeah yeah, whatever." Arc hummed quietly as he slowly began to drift off to sleep. He needed to figure out the hell was going on between him and Ciara, but first, he needed a nap.


	5. oh my god, i felt so alone, lucky me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite loving her with all her heart, there were times Ciara wanted to kill Prudy. Her best friend was the sweetest person on earth, but she was also incredibly frustrating.
> 
> Case in point, the blonde had dragged her to yet another party despite Ciara's protests, claiming she needed to get out of that stuffy mansion and have some fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first things first, happy new year y'all!! i hope you all have amazing new year's eves and that 2021 is so much better for us all. 
> 
> secondly, in regards to the end of this chapter, don't worry, the grief/mourning tag is NOT related to ciara's dad in any way. i swear. 
> 
> anyways, i love u all, and again happy new year!! <333

Despite loving her with all her heart, there were times Ciara wanted to kill Prudy. Her best friend was the sweetest person on earth, but she was also incredibly frustrating.  
  
Case in point, the blonde had dragged her to yet another party despite Ciara's protests, claiming she needed to get out of that stuffy mansion and have some fun.   
  
Ciara would have preferred staying at home and watching old reruns of One Tree Hill. She hadn't planned to leave her house or changing out of her sweats and hoodie, but of course, Prudy wouldn't have that. So as a result, Ciara found herself at the house of some random classmate of Prudy's.   
  
She was now wearing a pink skater skirt that showed off her legs and a matching tank top she was pretty sure Prudy had stolen from her plus her usual white Air Force ones. She looked good and she knew it. It seemed like other people knew it too, as she had multiple guys come up to her, trying to flirt with her.   
  
Ciara hadn't been interested, instead focusing on playing Candy Crush. Or at least she had been until a familiar voice came close to her. "Hey, Ciara." She turned around to see Arc, standing a few inches away from her, a smirk on his face. Ciara clenched her jaw before moving closer to him.   
  
"Arc. What are you doing here?" The blonde-haired boy shrugged. "Prudy told me there was gonna be a party here so I decided to go. Wasn't expecting to see you here though."   
  
Ciara nodded slowly. She looked down at her phone and she could feel Arc's eyes on her. It made her feel different, the way his eyes would laser in on her. It made her heart pound and her hands begin to get all sweaty.   
  
She looked back up and he smiled at her. "I'm uh, I'm gonna go get a drink. Wanna come with me?" Arc nodded, and Ciara smiled at him, as they both turned and made their way into the massive kitchen where Kraipan - the person throwing the party, was serving cocktails and mocktails along with cases of beer.   
  
"Can I get a Strawberry lemonade?" Ciara asked and Kraipan nodded, grabbing a bottle of vodka and a bottle of strawberry lemonade, mixing the two together in a cocktail shaker before pouring them into a glass, topping it off with ice. "Thank you!" Ciara said with a smile.   
  
Arc grabbed a beer, fist-bumping Kraipan who winked at him. Ciara rolled her eyes at both boys before grabbing Arc's free hand and dragging him out of the kitchen and over where people were playing a loose game of beer pong.   
  
She took a sip of her drink, smiling at the sweetness before placing it on the table. "Wanna play?" She asked and Arc rolled his eyes at her before placing his beer on the table. "Sure thing Archer. No crying when I beat you though."   
  
40 minutes later, she made sure he regretted those words when she won for the third time that night. "In your face Seagate!" She called out, her curls falling into her face as she jumped up and down in excitement, almost spilling her drink. Arc grabbed it from her, his hand resting on her waist as he waited for her to calm down.   
  
"Yeah yeah." He grumbled, a small smile forming on his lips. Ciara giggled, grabbing her drink back from him, suddenly becoming very aware of two things: his hand on her waist and how close they were standing to each other.   
  
She looked away, her entire body feeling like it was on fire. Arc's hand dropped from her waist and she tried not to think about how much she wanted him to keep his grip there.   
  
They kept talking despite their game being over, and eventually, Ciara looked down at her phone, realizing how late it was getting. "Hey um, I kinda want to get going." She mumbled, nudging Arc and he looked at her confused before nodding. "Prudy's my ride though and I have no clue where she went, so I was hoping you could give me a ride?" Arc grinned. "Yeah sure."   
  
They quickly grabbed their stuff, and Ciara sent off a text to Prudy, letting her know that Arc had taken her home, so the blonde wouldn't panic when she realized Ciara wasn't there anymore.   
  
They made their way to Arc's car, and Ciara entered the passenger side, quickly buckling her seatbelt as Arc got into the driver's side. They pulled out of the busy street of Kraipan's house and made their way downtown so they could get to the west side of Astoria City, where Ciara lived.   
  
The skyline of the city was all Ciara could see as she looked out the window, her eyes drooping as she began to fall asleep, the adrenaline of the night finally hitting her. After what felt like forever, they finally reached her place and she could tell that Arc was shocked at how large it was.   
  
They passed Gareth in the toll booth and he raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes at him and he let them in. Arc drove up to the side of the house, before parking and they sat there for a moment. "Thanks for the ride," Ciara said with a small smile.   
  
Arc nodded. "No problem." Ciara big down on her lip before leaning forward and attempting to kiss Arc on the cheek, only for him to turn his head and their lips to meet instead. She froze and so did he, before his fingers wound up in her curls and he pulled her closer. Ciara closed her eyes, leaning into the kiss, her only thought being, that she was making a mistake, but it was a mistake she was willing to make.   
  
They pulled apart and she panted as she looked away, running a hand through her hair. She could see from the corner of her eye, that Arc was rubbing the back of his neck.   
  
"That was a mistake. I am so sorry, I'm just gonna go-" She breathed out, looking up at the ceiling of Arc's car, before unbuckling her seatbelt and moving to get out. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, kissing her again. The kiss was shorter this time, but just as much, if not more passionate.   
  
They pulled apart again and she looked into his eyes. "We're not friends, but we're not enemies either." He said and she nodded. "So what are we?" Arc looked down for a moment before he leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together.   
  
"A whatchamacallit." Ciara giggled at his attempt at a joke. Maybe, this wasn't a complete mistake. Maybe.   
  
She got out of the car and made her way into her house, her heart pounding as she entered, leaning back on the door as she stared into the empty dark. Before she could fully reflect on what happened, she heard a loud crash from upstairs, and she ran up the stairs to find her dad in the hallway, struggling to sit up.   
  
"Dad!" She cried out, running over to him. "Daddy, are you ok?" He looked at her with glassy eyes before nodding. She grabbed her phone from her handbag, quickly dialling 911 as she helped him sit up, using her own body weight to keep him upright.   
  
"Hello? This is Ciara Archer, I'm calling from Astoria House. I'm here with my dad, King Archer and I think he fell down or something. He's breathing but his eyes look glassy and he was struggling to sit up. Just send someone, now!"


	6. when all is going wrong and you're scared as hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been nearly a week, and Ciara hadn't called him back. Arc knew he was overreacting, but what if she had changed her mind? What if she decided that whatever they were wasn't worth it? 
> 
> Fuck.

It had been nearly a week, and Ciara hadn't called him back. Arc knew he was overreacting, but what if she had changed her mind? What if she decided that whatever they were wasn't worth it?  
  
Fuck.  
  
It didn't help that he had multiple shifts at Target that week, so he wouldn't be able to call her unless he wanted to risk getting yelled at by Phoebe - his manager.  
  
So yeah, when he got to class Friday morning and he saw Ciara sitting in the front row, looking scared as shit, he didn't know what to say or do. But when he got closer and he saw the way she was shaking, his anger turned to concern.  
  
"You okay?" He said, expecting her to brush him off or ignore him. Instead she looked at him, tears brimming in her eyes.  
  
"My dad's in the hospital. A brain bleed. He's now in a medically induced coma. I should have called you, but they were running tests and they weren't telling me anything and-" Arc cut her off, gently grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "Hey it's fine. Do you want to go in the hallway? I'll tell Swayze. Class doesn't start for another 30 minutes."  
  
Ciara hesitated for a moment before nodding. They both stood up, and Arc walked over to Professor Swayze's desk.  
  
The older man was staring at something on his phone, but he looked up when he felt Arc's presence. "Ciara isn't feeling good. I'm pretty sure you know about what happened with her dad?" Professor Swayze nodded. "I'm gonna take her into the hallway. Try to get her calm down a bit, is that okay?"  
  
Professor Swayze nodded again. "Yeah that's fine Mr Seagate. You're a good boyfriend." Arc opened his mouth to correct him, but the words died. He smiled tight lipped before nodding and walking over to Ciara who was wiping her eyes with her hoodie sleeve.  
  
He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. "It'll be okay. He's currently in the hospital, so he'll be taken care of." Ciara let out a quiet breath against his chest. He squeezed her tighter, his fingers rubbing soft circles on the back of her neck.  
  
"I'm scared Arc. With Eliza overseas, it's just me and him. What if he doesn't wake up?" Arc paused before speaking. "He will. He has to."  
  
Arc hoped that he would. He wasn't sure what Ciara was going to do if he didn't. Or what Astoria would do.  
  


* * *

When he got home from his classes and his shift, Arc was dead tired. So tired, that Warwick's voice doesn't register to him at first. He had flopped onto the couch as soon as he got home, and he had managed to doze off. At least until Warwick yelled his name.  
  
"Huh?" He asked and his best friend rolled his eyes at him before repeating himself. "Your Dad called. Said he needs bail money, and by Friday." Arc rolled his eyes, scoffing. Of course Xander wanted money. Of course he had gotten himself thrown back in jail.  
  
"What did he do now?" Arc asked and Warwick shrugged. The African American boy sat down on the small couch next to Arc, opening his arms for a hug.  
  
Arc sighed before leaning in. "I hate him." Warwick hummed. "I know. I know buddy." Arc bit down on his lip. He considered speaking again but decided not to, instead burying his face into Warwick's chest.  
  
"In lighter news, Ciara came by looking for you. Said she has good news about her dad." Arc moved back slightly, looking up at Warwick. "Yeah?"  
  
Warwick grinned. "Yeah. That and she wants to finish what you guys started after the party. Whatever that means." Arc's cheeks turned bright red and Warwick raised an eyebrow at him. "Do I even want to know?"  
  
Arc went silent for a moment as he remembered the feeling of Ciara's lips on his, and the way his heart had been pounding for hours afterwards. "No. You don't." Warwick smirked. "Okay player." Arc laughed, burying his face back into Warwick's chest as his friend ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
As long as he had Warwick, things would be okay.


End file.
